Looking for somewhere chic and stylish to sleep when visiting Paris, renowned for being the most romantic capital of the world?

Check in to the L’Hôtel, the theatrical, ultra chic hotel has been host to many a star including Johnny Depp and is reportedly where the famous Oscar Wilde spent his last days. After a much anticipated makeover from Jacques Garcia, the quirky, quant hotel oozes sophistication. Facilities include a private swimming pool for two and the much publicised restaurant and bar. The boudoirs are beautiful with the choice of staying in the Apartment, the Grande room, the Chic room or the Bijoux and Mignon.

Visit the website, www.l-hotel.com to see it for yourself and enquire into prices.

Ok, so I’m going American shopping crazy right now! But I just can’t help envying some of the fashions from the designers and stores over there. I’m thinking Rebecca Taylor, Victoria’s Secret, Kidson, Fred Segal and Anthropologie.

Yes Anthropologie, a store you may have heard of if you’re a fan of The O.C, because many of the clothes worn on the show came from there. With smart, sophisticated and stylish décor, Anthropologie is welcoming to the fashion savvy. Sadly they do not ship to the UK so visit Anthropologie to locate your nearest store when you next visit the US. It does not disappoint. I you get a chance, whilst you’re checking locations, view the collection too. I got some lovely cute floral cardigans and a lovely evening dress when I went to visit.

The ultimate bachelor pad has been created and sits at the top of the Fantasy Tower at The Palms, Las Vegas.

The two-story, luxury suite is modelled on the Playboy Mansion in California and does not disappoint. Featuring a cantilevered Playboy Jacuzzi® pool, a spectacular view of the strip, an eight foot round, rotating bed, a gym and a full bar to name a few of the luxuries, this certainly is a man’s dream.

Dare to enquire into the price? $40,000 per night! It’s the second most expensive hotel room in the world, according to The Times Online.

The Hugh Hefner Sky Villa is located at The Palms Casino Resort, 4321 West Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV 89103. To make a reservation visit www.palms.com.

There is a noticeable lack of cupcake bakeries around, so the best are being promoted left, right and centre in fashion media print and with quite a sweet tooth it caught my eye.

Before I took a trip to New York City in the summer I did my research. This is where I learnt of Baby Cakes. Glamour magazine had produced a guide to New York in light of the release of The Devil Wears Prada. I can happily write all good things I heard were true. The cupcakes were delightful and at $3 per cake, I was smiling. So if you happen to be visiting NYC soon pay the bakery a visit and try the vanilla and red velvet cupcakes, they are delectable!

Visit Baby Cakes, the bakery, at 248 Broome Street (btw Orchard & Ludlow), New York City, NY 10002. Or visit www.babycakesnyc.com for more information.

I’m not a big fan of swimming in the sea. So when I went to Nice this year my only stipulation was that that hotel had a private outdoor pool. I just wanted to chill out in the sun by a pool with a bar close by. Well I quickly discovered that there was lots to see in Nice and the surrounding area so what should have been a few days relaxing turned into a mad rush to see the whole of the cote d azure in four days… I just can’t go to a place and feel like I haven’t seen much of it!

What I did miss out on though was enjoying the facilities of a great hotel. The Radisson SAS Nice is located on Nice’s famous Promenade des Anglais – the road that runs along the sea front. Its a bit further from the town center than many of the other hotels but it offers a bus shuttle service until 6 o’clock (unfortunately after that you have to take a 30 minute walk or get a taxi which can be quite expensive). The hotel makes up for this by being the only residence in the area to offer a rooftop outdoor private pool and restaurant/bar area. The food is great and you can have a lovely evening watching the stars twinkling over the ocean from up high whilst listening to some excellent live music.

The hotel has a gym and some spa facilities - something else which is hard to find in Nice - and bedrooms with balconies overlooking the sea. This is a modern hotel with recently refurbished bedrooms in a vibrant eclectic style…. there was a bright red chili pepper mounted on the wall in our bedroom. You can book a stay at this hotel via lastminute.com

I have just returned from a short stay in the quaint city of Brussels and must say Christmas is a perfect time to go. There were cute little Christmas stalls selling all kinds of unique knick-knacks and everyone was warming up by sipping glue vine (mulled wine) and munching on Belgian waffles.

If you do get the chance to visit the city head over to the Grand Place (pictured) when it gets dark, the light display is not to be missed, beautiful buildings are lit up and opera music blasts into the square, a huge Christmas tree is located in the centre so it will really give you that Christmas time feeling.

We took the Eurostar from St. Pancras International to Brussels and stayed at the Sheraton Brussels for three nights. I was really impressed with the efficiency of the train and amazed at the journey time (now less than 2 hours). The hotel was a short taxi ride away and we were slap bang in the middle of everything.

The Sheraton is rated as 5* but to be honest I thought the rooms and bathrooms were more 4*. Although everything was very clean and tidy the rooms are quite outdated and need a bit of an uplift. The hotel itself, restaurants, bars and spa are lovely and we had a very enjoyable stay. The only nuisance I found was because of the fantastic location we could hear a lot of traffic and police cars late into the night.

If you fancy a late deal and a chance to get some Christmas shopping in, get onto lastminute.com to see what’s available.

I took my fiance to Madrid for his birthday and we stayed at the most amazing hotel just outside the city centre. I new the hotel was going to be nice but wasn’t expecting it to be so luxurious. At the time Last Minute were offering a fantastic deal on a 2 night break away and we were able to upgrade to the Juban Executive floor for hardly anything and add breakfast to our stay.

The Executive floor is situated at the top of the building, you have great views of the area and all the rooms are huge suites. The floor even has a private reception desk and an executive lounge that serves soft or alcoholic drinks, snacks and cake all day free of charge. We therefore spent very little money outside the hotel!

As you can see from the pictures, the rooms are extremely modern, spacious and beautifully decorated. The rooms on the executive floor consist of a kitchen area, lounge with flat screen TV, bedroom and bathroom with separate shower and toilet. If you want a short break away in pure luxury this is definitely a wonderful hotel to visit. Visit the Mirasierra Website for more pictures and information.

Topshop seems to be catering for more needs than I would have expected. They are now stocking passport holders which are stylish and reasonably priced. Although some would not bother with investing in a holder it can be a benefit for those who don’t want there passport damaged. A great accessory to purchase that will get your spirits high for your holiday.

Choose from the noticeably stylish Hologram Dot Passport Holder, an ideal accessory with the right coloured bag in purple, costing just £6 or the cobalt Metallic Passport Holder also £6 stands out and ideal for the rock ‘n’ roll, punky edged jet setter.

The Topshop passport holders are available at www.topshop.com, visit the website to see for yourself.

Like most people I know, each year New Years Eve comes around, my friends and I come up with some fabulous and wild plan and end up doing the same thing we did the previous years, counting down in our local town. So this year I am determined to make it a good one. I was thinking New York. What better time could there be? Christmas and January sales, possible snow in Central Park, the famous Rockefeller Centre outdoor ice rink and a lively New Years in Times Square! Sounds too good to be true, but it is possible just a bit pricey.

Be prepared to pay around £650 or more from the 30th of December to the 3rd of January. I found some great options with Expedia, staying in three or four star hotels, flying with British Airways from London, Heathrow to New York, JFK. The Hilton Garden Inn looks like a good option in Chelsea; it is central, contemporary and starts from around £693. Alternatively if you don’t mind splurging the four and a half star Trump International Hotel starts at around £1001 but is pure luxury with wonderful views of Central Park.

Visit www.expedia.com and take your pick.

Every year my Christmas is spent at home with the family, why not make it a bit special and a little bit more romantic, in Paris with a loved one? Not that a family Christmas around a fire isn’t just as appealing, but maybe this year surround yourself with a Parisian atmosphere. Visit the Eiffel Tower and the wonderful selection of art galleries or shop on the Champs Elysées and have a romantic meal followed by a romantic walk down the River Seine.

Expedia have some great deals at the moment staying in the heart of the city, priced between £200 and £300, in either three or four star hotels. The Hotel Concorde La Fayette is a four star and looks modern and stylish, with some wonderful views over the city. Prices are around £270 staying from the 23rd of December to the 27th with excellent flights between London Heathrow and Paris.

Visit www.expedia.com to find your ideal Christmas break. After all, we are in need of well deserved break in the holidays!